1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors of the type having plug and receptacle components for general and hazardous industrial applications and, more particularly, is concerned with a receptacle assembly having position retention tabs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For many years a comprehensive selection of electrical products, namely, electrical fittings, enclosures, distribution equipment, connectors, controls and lighting fixtures, have been manufactured and sold by Killark Electric Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of Hubbell Incorporated. These electrical products are designed for use in hazardous, hostile, corrosive and general industrial environments. More specifically, weather resistant electrical connectors having plugs and receptacles, are designed as general purpose equipment for use in and around industrial plants, both indoors and outdoors, on portable and stationary apparatuses.
In one particular design, the electrical connector receptacle has a body adapted to receive a plug at one end. The receptacle also has a cover pivotally mounted thereon adjacent to the one end and spring biased to move from an open position to a closed position when the plug is not present. In its open position, the cover is angularly displaced from the plug-receiving end of the receptacle allowing for mating of the plug with the receptacle end. In its closed position, with the plug removed from the receptacle, the cover engages and seals the open end of the receptacle so as to prevent water from entering electrical connections within the receptacle. Thus, the spring biasing or loading of the cover causes it to automatically close when the plug is removed.
Typically, an electrician needs to access the open end of the receptacle during the installation process in order to verify proper polarity, phasing and grounding of the electrical connections in the receptacle. The spring biased tendency of the cover to close on the receptacle end creates a problem for the electrician in the performance of the verification procedure. The electrician's job is made much more difficult in that he or she must hold the cover open with one hand and perform the verification tasks with the other hand.
Consequently, a need exists for further improvement of the design of receptacle assemblies to overcome the aforementioned problem.